High hopes and expectations are on Cyclone Hockey after their conference tournament championship last year. The club team will take its first step toward fulfilling those hopes this weekend.

The Cyclones kick off the 2007-08 season Friday with an opening series at the Ames/ISU Ice Arena against the Minnesota Owls in a game that will count toward the Cyclones’ record, but not their standings.

The Minnesota Owls are a Minnesota Junior Hockey League team, a step below the Cyclones, but coach Al Murdoch said they represent a good opportunity to show what college hockey is about.

“A lot of them will look to go to college and play at some point, so this is a good chance for recruiting,” Murdoch said.

Just because the Owls are in a lower league does not mean the Cyclones will not take them seriously, said sophomore defenseman Adam Mueller.

“All games are big games for us,” Mueller said. “Everything helps us for our goal in the end. You have to treat every game as a huge game. Even this Minnesota team is going to be a good test because the junior teams are getting a lot better. Even though they aren’t in our league, you still want to go out there and do the best you can.”

Although this will not be the toughest game the Cyclones play this season, it is a very important game both to tune up for this season and to spread awareness.

“It’s exhibition to kind of get your feet going and kind of get used to the game with one another. We have got a lot for people from Minnesota and Canada on this team and it’s good exposure for those guys to see that we are a legit ACHA Division I team, so hopefully they will get a chance to see how we play,” said sophomore defenseman Brent Cornelius.

Cyclone Hockey has had only one week together so far, so they will really have to gel fast. This game will help them do that, and will also give the coaches a chance to see their own players a little more in a live game situation.

“At this point we are looking for players who hustle, show enthusiasm, put the puck in the net, and keep the opponent from putting the puck in the net,” Murdoch said.